Waco Bloodbath Hurts Image Of All Riders

The tale of an unidentified Harley-Davidson dealer who said “I make more money from the costumes than from selling bikes” is probably apocryphal, but it came to mind this week in the wake of the Waco bloodbath that left nine motorcycle gang members dead, 18 injured and more than 170 posing for mug shots.

How many people do you know who, after buying a big honking motorcycle, subsequently purchased the appropriate apparel to fit the rowdy, no-rules image that they were trying to project, rather than simply buying gear that offered the best protection?

If a doo-rag and a black leather vest smeared with patches and sometimes “colors” signifying club affiliation isn’t a costume, then it’s at least an unofficial uniform that bespeaks toughness, grit and oneness with other riders of the same mindset.

There’s nothing wrong with that, but I can’t help but wonder if wearing this attire in the wake of the much-publicized event in the Texas city – where rival gang members from the Banditos and the Cossacks clubs engaged in the deadly shootout on Sunday – will spark increased nervousness everywhere among members of the general public who don’t know a Deuce from a Diavel.

Most riders are good people, who engage in charity rides and do other good deeds. They’ve all contributed immeasurably to giving riders an increasingly positive image over recent decades, excluding those rude riders whose excessively loud exhaust pipes offend riders and non-riders alike.

However, it’s primarily the outlaws properly labeled as “1 percenters” who give motorcyclists a bad name, and all it takes is a single turf war eruption like what happened in Waco to ruin years of image-building and for stereotyping of all riders to occur.

I’m guessing that at least for a short while riders wearing getup that’s also preferred by scum will be getting dirty looks. They will probably notice non-riders giving them wide berth – through no fault of their own. The unfortunate short-term perception will be that good people are bad guys who must be avoided or approached with extreme caution.